John peiffer



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet 1.

J. PEIFPER. AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

No. 586,144. Patented July 13, 1897.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. PEIPPER.

AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

N0. 586,144. Patented July 13, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

JOHN PEIFFER, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF TIIREE-FOURTHS TO PETERAPEL, JOHN TOUSSAINT, AND N. J. TOUSSAINT, OF

SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,144, dated July 13,1897.

Application filed December 17, 1896. Serial No. 616,082. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN PEIFFER, a citizen of Germany, residing in thecity and county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Automatic Car-Couplers; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to car-couplers, and has for its object toprovide the bumper with means for coupling cars either automatically orby the linkand pin and also for readily uncoupling the same.

It consists, essentially, in securing within the bumper certainlinkswith hooks and pins for engaging the same and means for operatingthe hooks and links.

The details of the construction of my invention will be fully describedin the specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying thesame.

Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section of the bumper withappliances within the bumper. Fig. 2 is a horizontal and longitudinalsection of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical and longitudinal section of amodified form of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the linksremoved. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the end of the car, showing theattachment for uncoupling. Fig. 6 is a bumper removed, showing theposition of the uncoupling attachment after the car has been uncoupled.Fig. 7 is a perspective of the device for operating the couplingsremoved from the car.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all of thedrawings.

In the drawings, A designates the bumper, which is of the ordinary shapeof bumpers, but sufficiently recessed out to hold the couplingattachment hereinafter described. To one of the inner vertical sides ofthe bumper is pivoted a hook B,Which projects out to near the end of thefunnel part of the bumper. Over the hook B there is secured to the upperinner surface of the bumper a spring 0, which is set at a sufficientangle to bear upon the rear end I) of the hook B. Below the end of thehook B is pivoted a cam 1), one end 61 of which cam is adapted to comein contact with the under side of the end I) of the hook, and the otherend 6 of said cam D projects out through the opening E in the under sideof the bumper, and to this end 6 is pivoted a rigid rod F. The rod F ispivoted to the arm f of an angle-rod II. This rod H is loosely securedto the under side of the bumper by an eyebolt or ring 9. The oppositeend of the angle-iron H is bent at right angles and is pivoted to a rodJ, which projects up to the top of the car and is there secured to alever K, which lever is pivoted upon a standard h, fastened to the topof the car. To the rod J is also pivoted another lever L, which runscrosswise of the end of the car and projects out beyond the samesufficiently to be operated by the handles Z from outside of the car.Another operating-lever X is loosely secured to the end of the car andis supplied with a lever V, which is pivoted to the top of acoupling-pin n.

A link 0 (shown in .Fig. i) is pivoted to the inner side of the bumperat is. There is a slot 2 in the inner end of the link 0, which engageswith the spring R, which spring is secured to the inner side of thebumper, as shown in Fig. 2. This spring holds the link 0 in a horizontalposition. The outer end of the link 0 is provided with an oblong hole pto engage with the hook B, and also may engage with the pin 01 whennecessary. Vertically through the bumper A is a hole S, into which thepin or is inserted for engagement with the link 0 or with the link of anordinarybumper. It will be seen that if said hook B be broken or failsfor any reason to operate then the pin a can be introduced through thehole S and into engagement with the hole 19 in the link 0.

Fig. 3 shows a modified means for operating the hook B. This hook ispivotally secured by pin 8 to the inner side of the bumper.

For raising thedevice thereon are to be coupled, the engineer simplybrings the two cars together, when the link 0 in the bumper of one ofthe cars will slide over the incline c of the hook B and engage with itthrough the hole 13 of the link, and the link Within the other bumperWill engage with the hook in the opposite bumper automatically. When itis necessary to uncouple the two cars thus coupled, the operator, ifstanding upon the top of the car, will raise up the outer end of thelever K, which action will force down the rod J, turning the arm j ofthe angle-iron H and forcing backward the arm f, which action will alsoforce back the rod F and will turn the cam D, bringing the end of thecam D into engagement with the end b of the hook B, and thus withdrawthe point 0 of the hook from engagement with the link 0, and the sameoperation upon the opposite car will withdraw the other link and the twocars will be uncoupled.

If the car is to be uncoupled from the side while the brakeman isstanding upon the ground, he will grasp the lever L on each car by thehandles land turn them downward, which action will force down the rod Jand uncouple the same, as previously described. For security against theuncoupling of the cars by breakage of the hook B the brakeman can turnthe handles Y of the lever X downward, and this will force the pin 11down through the hole S and through the hole 1) in the link 0.

If one of the cars to be coupled is supplied with my improved couplerand is to be coupled with a car having the ordinary link and pin, thenwhen the two cars are brought together the link 0 will engage in thebumper of the opposite car and the pin of that car can be insertedthrough the bumper and through the hole 19, or the ordinary link of theopposite car, when the cars are brought together, will,if of sufficientlength,engage the hook B, and thus automatically couple the car, but ifnot of suflicient length to engage the hook then the operator from theside of the car will turn the handles Y of the lever X and force the pin71 through the hole S and into engagement with the link of the oppositecar.

Having now described my invention and the mode of its operation, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An automatic car-coupler, consisting of a bumper for each end of thecar, a spring actuated hook pivoted within the bumper aspring actuatedlink pivoted within the bumper, a cam pivoted in the bumper and set toengage the rear end of the hook for throwing the hook out of engagementWith the link and a lever for operating said cam, consisting of a bar F,angle-iron H, rod J, and levers K, and L, all combined to operate, asand for the purposes shown.

2. The combination of a bumper, hook B, link 0, having the slots 19, and2, spring R, cam D, and lever for operating said cam, consisting of thebar F, angle-iron H, pivoted to the base of the bumper, rod J and leverL, and K, all combined to operate as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination of the bumper, hook B, spring 0, link 0, providedwith slots 19, and 2, spring R, cam D, and means, as described foroperating the same, a couplingpin n, adapted to pass through the bumperand engage the slot 9, in the link 0, and a lever for operating the pin,consisting of the rod X, with handles Y and arms V, pivoted at one endto said pin, to operate, as and for the purposes specified.

4. An automatic car-coupler, consisting of a bumper for each end of thecar, and a springactuated hook pivoted within the bumper, and a springlocated in the bumper, and the link supported at its rear end by thespring, combined with a cam pivoted in the bumper and set to engage therear end of the hook for throwing it out of engagement with the link,and a lever for operating the cam, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

J OIIN PEIFFER.

Witnesses:

M. M. OADY, J. R, BALLO UGH.

